The Newcastle Story Why You Should Invest in Newcastle Major Future Infrastructure Projects Growth in future development Newcastle Domestic Airport Family-oriented locations Planned Luxury Cruise Terminal Major Health facilities 90 minutes to drive to Sydney Harbour Bridge Abundance of Educational facilities Entertainment Hubs A global city for Festivals and Events Facts • 90 minutes to Sydney Harbour Bridge • Total area of 261.8 km ² • Population 161,225 (ABS 2015) • Local Government Area: City of Newcastle • Newcastle is located in the Lower Hunter region of NSW Area Highlights Westfield Kotara Shopping Centre Newcastle Entertainment Centre Blue Gum Hills Regional Park Coastal Walking Trails Newcastle Domestic Airport John Hunter Hospital plus others Hunter Street Outlet Shopping Marketown Shopping Centre Pristine Beaches 3 TAFE NSW campuses Central Coast & Newcastle Train Line The Newcastle Civic Theatre Easy access to the Pacific Motorway Accessibility to Sydney Newcastle Art Gallery Newcastle Ocean Baths The University of Newcastle Beaumont Street Precinct Glenrock State Conservation Park Port of Newcastle Population Growth The City of Newcastle is located in the Lower Hunter region of NSW, with neighbouring residential districts comprising of Maitland, Cessnock, Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie 2031 population projections indicate that an The City of Newcastle accounted for 22% estimated 80,000 additional dwellings will be of population growth in the Lower Hunter required, providing opportunity for residential region between 2006 and 2011. developments. Population Drivers INTERNAL MIGRATION GAIN OVERSEAS MIGRATION People arriving to live in the Newcastle region, More people arriving from overseas to live from elsewhere within Australia within Australia, less people leaving to live overseas. Newcastle is Australia’s seventh largest city. Over the past decade the population of the Newcastle Local Government Area has surged with significant growth in its western corridor. Transport CAR: The M1 Pacific Motorway, also known by the former name Sydney–Newcastle Expressway; is a 127 km (79 mi) stretch of freeway linking Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales. The M1 is part of the AusLink road corridor between Sydney and Brisbane. TRAIN: The Central Coast & Newcastle line is 147km of rail connecting NSW largest cities, Sydney and Newcastle. This line also services the Hawkesbury River and Central Coast regions. Approximate time by train from Newcastle to Sydney is 2.5 hours. LIGHT RAIL: The approved Newcastle Light Rail Project is 2.7km of light rail track from the new transport interchange at Wickham to Pacific Park. There are six stops along the way, starting at the transport interchange. Construction on the Newcastle Light Rail begins in 2017 and is scheduled for completion in 2019. Future Infrastructure and Job Creation Port of Newcastle is a vital economic asset for the Hunter Region and beyond. Strategically positioned at the gateway to the state’s largest regional economy, with close proximity to Sydney, the port is the economic and trading centre for regional New South Wales. The NSW Government announced in September 2016 its commitment to invest 12.7 million dollars in the construction of a permanent luxury cruise ship facility in Newcastle. Cruise ships arriving into the Port of Newcastle currently deliver about $11 million annually to the local economy, and with the new cruise terminal increasing the number of incoming ships and visitors, this figure is expected to grow significantly. Purpose-built facilities will provide a professional welcome for passengers and will position Newcastle as a home port where ships can start and finish their trip. Along with enhanced wharf infrastructure, the forthcoming Newcastle Cruise Terminal will offer dedicated baggage handling and security services, setting up the city for cruise ships to conduct full turnarounds (the process of ending one cruise, disembarking passengers and reloading for another) in the future. Dedicated car and coach parking will also be constructed while accessibility will also be improved. Construction is expected to start in mid 2017 and finish in 2018. JOB CREATION BOOST IN LOCAL ECONOMY Thousands of additional jobs will be It’s expected that the dedicated luxury created from the construction and cruise terminal will inject $26.7million flow on effects of the terminal. into the local economy. Sources: “Newcastle commits to cruising with state-of-the-art terminal plan” cruiseadvice.com.au 27 September 2016. “Newcastle’s cruise terminal plans take shape as first ship arrives for the year” portofnewcastle.com.au 31 January 2017 Port Development: Terminal 4 (T4) The Port Waratah Coal Services Terminal 4 development, currently undergoing planning assessment by the NSW Government, would position the port and the region to meet the continued global demand for the region’s high quality coal. The port’s current coal terminal capacity is 211 million tonnes per annum. The port currently has three coal terminals (two are operated by Port Waratah Coal Services, and one is operated by the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group). In terms of future capacity, T4 would increase the port’s coal terminal capacity to approximately 280 million tonnes per annum. There is likely to be an expansion of the port for bulk products, general cargo and containers. At an investment of $5 billion, Port Waratah Coal Services’ new terminal is expected to create 80 permanent local jobs, in addition to 1500 jobs during construction. Williamtown airport, defence and aerospace development An $80 million extension to Newcastle Airport is expected to increase domestic capacity as well as develop secure customs and immigration facilities to accommodate future international flights. The Newcastle Airport runway is shared with the RAAF Base Williamtown, which is a major operational base for fighter aircraft. Williamtown will be the RAAF’s command, operations and training base for the new F35 Joint Strike Fighter with a $950 million redevelopment proposed to accommodate the new activity. Redevelopment will generate around 700 construction jobs. It is expected that additional required support activities will create 1000 new jobs. The extension will also include a commercial precinct comprising of a Mecure Hotel, conference centre, plus commercial office space for lease and industrial lots. Sources: Newcastle City Council Economic Development Strategy 2016-2019 www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au Newcastle Light Rail Proposed Light Rail Route The NSW Government has committed $460 million toward the Newcastle Light Rail system, an important new transport initiative that will transform the city centre. It will strengthen connections between the city and the waterfront, create new jobs, provide more public space and amenity, and deliver more public transport. The 2.7km light rail system will ensure continued economic growth and increase connectivity to new activity precincts in the city centre. It will also play a major role in Newcastle’s transformation by developing infrastructure that will cater for the demand for years to come. The project, awarded to Downer EDI, is expected to create 200 construction jobs with works beginning in 2017 and completion expected for 2019. Benefits of Light Rail Services every 10 minutes Foundation for future light rail networks Reduced congestion Wider economic benefits including new jobs and activated business precincts. Capacity to move 1200 passengers an hour Future growth in jobs will by driven by a number of factors, including: growth in industries servicing external markets; growth in activities linked to the port; internal market growth generated by a larger regional population, and; innovation and commercialisation of ideas. Plans for the Future: $24 billion high speed rail network from Newcastle to Sydney A company backed by China’s state railways company wants to spend $24 billion on a high-speed rail network that would make it possible to travel from Newcastle to Sydney in less than an hour. Centurion Group, a developer and China Rail’s local partner, says a privately funded rail system running from Campbelltown, in Sydney’s south west, to Newcastle, is financially viable and could go ahead if the state government supports the project. The 150-kilometre line would run from Campbelltown, to Central, Chatswood, Wyong, and then to Newcastle after turning at Cameron Park. The line would run all the way into the city of Newcastle, but still allow the city to connect to the harbour. With access to Sydney, it would be very easy for many people to commute to, and tourists to visit, the Hunter region. Sources: ‘Newcastle Light Rail’ www.revitalisingnewcastle.com.au. ‘China-backed company proposes $24 billion high speed rail network from Newcastle to Sydney’ Newcastle Herald 22 January 2016 Developing the Visitor Economy Virgin Australia Supercar Championships to move to Newcastle Newcastle is set for a multi-million dollar economic boost with the announcement it will be home to the final round of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship from 2017. The V8 switch from Sydney’s Olympic Park to Newcastle’s harbourside site will inject more than $57million into the local economy and attract more than 80,000 visitors to the area. It’s a picturesque course that takes in some of the city’s best landmarks, including Nobbys Beach and Fort Scratchley. Supercars Chief Executive James Warburton said the race would be a spectacular event that would